


Five Nights

by DarkenedFlare



Category: Five nights at Freddy’s - Fandom, Sanders Sides (Web Series), jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Gen, lots of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 20,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25580062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenedFlare/pseuds/DarkenedFlare
Summary: You know the story of Five Nights at Freddy's. All the mysteries, some of the answers, infinite questions.But what would happen if the cast of characters were switched with egos and sides?The same story, different characters.Enjoy...*This is a repost from Wattpad. I made this story before we learned Janus’s name, so I refer to him as Dee*
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

"What did he do this time?"

Erik looked over at his Princey plushie. It was Erik's favorite. It had a red sash across his white shirt and had dragon horns and a spiked tail. Erik felt a little unsettled though, as it always seemed like it was watching him.

"He locked you in your room again."

Erik looked over at the door. Why did his brother always do this? Erik's eyes grew wide. What if there was a fire...or-or someone broke into their house?

"Don't be scared. I am here with you," the plushie reassured him.

Erik walked over to where his four plushies were; Dragon Prince, Pathos, Rem, and Anx. The Anx plushie's head was ripped off, courtesy of Erik's big brother.

"These are my friends," Erik whispered to himself.

He walked over to his bedroom door and knocked. He knocked again. Then another time. Erik felt tears prickle in his eyes. If only his other brother was here. He would've helped.

Erik slid to the floor and curled up into a little ball.

The Princey plush stared at him from on top of his bed.

"Tomorrow is another day."  
———

"You know he is hiding again."

Erik started breathing heavy. 

"He won't stop until you find him."

Erik nodded. He knew that. This had happened before.

Erik exited his room, the door now unlocked. Instead of heading to the living room, he went to the right. The room there was bright pink with flower patterns on the walls. There was a bed in the corner with a paler pink bed cover. 

A torn up version of Anx was on the floor. Erik remembered that they renamed it from Toy Anx to Emi because of how different it looked. The only similarity was the cat ears and tail, though Emi had white ones while Anx's were midnight black.

Erik left the room. His dad still hadn't moved the stuff out. Erik didn't blame him, it was paining him just looking in there.

Erik entered the living room.

"Over there."

Erik went near the TV. His brother suddenly sprung out, wearing an Anx mask.

Erik started crying.

"Tomorrow is another day," his plushie reminded him yet again.

———

"He left without you."

Erik's breath quickened. He looked around in a panic. The Princey plush was right. Erik's dad was nowhere to be seen.

"He knows that you hate it here."

Erik did hate that place. Those robots...

"You are right beside the exit. If you run, you can make it. Hurry, run towards the exit!"

Erik looked towards the stage.

"NO!" The plush told Erik. "Don't you remember what you saw? The exit is the other way! Hurry and leave."

Erik was just about to exit the door when a giant sized version of the Princey plush walked right in front of him.

"It's too late. Hurry the other way and find someone who will help! You know what will happen if he catches you!"

Erik tried. But those robots...they were just...

"You can find help if you get past them. You have to be strong."

The table would hide him. They couldn't find him under there. Erik scrambled underneath it as he felt his cheeks become wet with tears.

"Tomorrow is another day."


	2. The Party Was For You

"You have to get up."

Erik was still lying underneath the table, crying.

"You can get out this time, but you have to hurry."

Erik ran out of the building, following Princey's advice. He was always right, so Erik trusted him.

While outside, Erik bumped into a young boy with very yellow hair and yellow eyes.

"Where is your plush toy?" He asked. "Mine is Warfstache."

Erik noticed that the boy held a small plushie of the character, much like how Erik had his Princey plush.

"My Daddy says I have to be careful with him or I will pinch my finger. He is a finger trap, he says."

Erik gave a small awkward nod before hurrying off. He saw two boys, older than Erik but younger than his big brother. They looked and dressed identical, but one held a microphone and one had a camera.

The one with the camera rushed up to Erik.

"You'd better watch out! I hear they come alive at night."

The one with the camera nodded in agreement.

"And if you die, they hide your body and never tell anyone."

Erik felt his stomach tighten up. Now he was even more scared of the robots than before.

"Why do you look so worried?" Asked the microphone boy. "See you at the party! Ha ha ha!"

Erik, feeling tears well up, ran away. He was so close to getting home.

Another boy started speaking, this one about eight years old, like Erik. He had a weird alien mask and Erik remembered seeing him rush around the neighborhood claiming to be a superhero

"Aren't you the kid who always hides under the table and cries?"

Erik gave a small self-conscious nod

"Hahaha! No one else is scared, why are you? Stop being such a baby!"

Erik scampered off until he was stopped again by another kid. This boy was younger than Erik and had purple eyes with light blue, almost white, eyes. He held a big red balloon.

"Are you going to the party? Everyone is going to the party. Oh wait! You have to go! It's YOUR birthday! Haha!"

By this time, Erik's face was streaming with tears. He just wanted to get back home. He worried that if anyone else saw him, they would make fun of him and call him a baby. Most people did already.

It wasn't long until yet again by someone else. This boy was a little older than Erik and had splotches of dried paint all over his face and hands. He was playing with some plastic toys of Prince, Pathos, and Rem.

"Why are you crying?" He asked. "Don't you like my toy collection?"

Erik finally made it to his house.

"Be careful," warned Princey.

The child made his way over to the TV and turned it on.

Fredbear and Friends 1983

Erik entered his room after taking a glance at the pink room next to his.

Just as he was about to sit on his bed, his brother popped out. As always, he had on his Anx mask.

"Tomorrow is another day."

———  
"Please let me out," Erik begged.

His brother locked Erik in there. Erik didn't even have his Princey plush with him. 

He was in the spare parts room. A torso of a robot costume was lying limp behind him. An endoskeleton head and arm were on the table, presumably in need of repair. Some spare heads of the robot costumes and spare endoskeleton heads sat on shelves above the table. In short, it was terrifying.

"PLEASE!" Erik yelled.

He banged his weak fists against the door to no result.

"...please let me out..."


	3. I Will Put You Back Together

"Wow, you're brother is kind of a baby. Isn't he, Dee?"

The speaker had on a Rem mask. The bunny ears on the mask were plastic and seemed really fake. That's why Erik preferred his plushies.

"Yeah, Remus. It's hilarious."

Erik knee his brother didn't like him. He accepted that a long time ago. But it still hurt him when his brother was mean.

"Why don't we help him get a closer look?" Dee asked his friends. "He will love it!

Erik widened his eyes. He would not love that. 

Dee's friends picked Erik up. Remus, with the Rem mask, and two others with a Pathos and Prince mask. Erik tried to get away, but the four fourteen-year-olds were too strong. The struggling was no use, and just caused Erik's body to get tired and sore.

"No! Please!" Erik protested.

"Come on guys, let's give this little man a lift." Dee gave an evil little smirk. "He wants to get up close and personal!"

"No! I don't want to go!" Cried Erik.

Dee just laughed.

"You heard the little man! He wants to get even closer! Ha ha ha!"

Erik kept shaking his head and struggling, even though nothing was working.

"Hey guys, I think the little man said he wants to give Princey a big kiss!"

No, no, no, no. Erik hated that robot. His plushie was nice, but the lurching robot with large teeth, big lifeless eyes was a whole different story. Not to mention it looked over him, the robot being taller than even the grownups.

"On THREE! One.... two...."

They tossed Erik into the prince's mouth. He was crying. His tears were streaming onto Princey's mouth.

CRUNCH

Then....darkness.  
———  
"Can you hear me?"

Erik looked around, confused. It was completely dark, and in front of him was his five plushies. He could recognize that voice...Dee.

"I don't know if you can hear me....I'm sorry."

The Princey plush looked at Erik with what seemed like sympathy

"You're broken."

The headless Anx plush faded away.

"We are still your friends."

Pathos disappeared.

"Do you still believe that?"

Away went Rem.

"I'm still here."

Dragon Prince was gone.

"I will put you back together."

Princey faded away.

Erik was alone...again.

Faintly, he could hear a heartbeat.

Beat beat

Beat beat

Beat beat

A flatline sound.

Then silence. Silence and darkness.


	4. New Place, Old Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee gets his first job at Dragon Prince’s Pizza. Totally not a decision he’ll regret.

"Uh, hello? Hello, hello?"

"Hello," Dee greeted. He was 18, just old enough to get a job at the pizza place. It was pretty easy, considering his dad was a co-owner of the whole franchise.

"Uh, hello and welcome to your new summer job at the new and improved Dragon Prince's Pizza. Uh, I'm here to talk you through some of the things you can expect to see during your first week here and to help you get started down this new and exciting career path."

"Great."

"Uh, now, I want you to forget anything you may have heard about the old location, you know. Uh, some people still have a somewhat negative impression of the company. Uh... that old restaurant was kind of left to rot for quite a while, but I want to reassure you, Prince Entertainment is committed to family fun and above all, safety. They've spent a small fortune on these new animatronics, uh, facial recognition, advanced mobility, they even let them walk around during the day. Isn't that neat? -clears throat But most importantly, they're all tied into some kind of criminal database, so they can detect a predator a mile away. Heck, we should be paying them to guard you."

"Probably a good idea. I regularly do stupid things."

"Uh, now that being said, no new system's without its... kinks."

Dee fought down a giggle. He hung around Remus too much.

"Uh... you're only the second guard to work at that location. Uh, the first guy finished his week, but complained about... conditions. Uh, we switched him over to the day shift, so hey, lucky you, right?"

"Real lucky."

"Uh mainly he expressed concern that certain characters seemed to move around at night, and even attempted to get into his office. Now, from what we know, that should be impossible. Uh, that restaurant should be the safest place on earth."

"So while our engineers, which I COULD'VE BEEN. Sorry, uh, j-just ignore that. Our engineers don't really have an explanation for this, but the working theory is that... the robots were never given a proper "night mode". So when it gets quiet, they think they're in the wrong room, so then they go try to find where the people are, and in this case, that's your office."

"That's very comforting."

"So our temporary solution is this: there's a music box over by the Prize Counter, and it's rigged to be wound up remotely. So just, every once in a while, switch over to the Prize Counter video feed and wind it up for a few seconds. It doesn't seem to affect all of the animatronics, but it does affect... one of them."

"Ominous."

"Uh, and as for the rest of them, we have an even easier solution. You see, there may be a minor glitch in the system, something about robots seeing you as an endoskeleton without his costume on, and wanting to stuff you in a suit, so hey, we've given you an empty Dragon Prince head, problem solved! You can put it on anytime, and leave it on for as long as you want. Eventually anything that wandered in, will wander back out."

"Uh, something else worth mentioning is kind of the modern design of the building. You may have noticed there are no doors for you to close, heh."

"Because who needs safety?"

"But hey, you have a light!"

"Yeah, that totally makes up for it.

"And even though your flashlight can run out of power, the building cannot. So, don't worry about the place going dark. Well, I think that's it. Uh, you should be golden. Uh, check the lights, put on the Prince head if you need to, uh, keep the music box wound up, piece of cake. Have a good night, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright then, what do we have here..."

Dee flicked up the monitor to see what he was up against. There was the show stage that had toy versions of Dragon Prince, Pathos, and Rem. All ready and accounted for. The prize corner housed the music box, plus a wind-up counter on the monitor. It also held Emi, formerly Toy Anx. Dee recalled that a version of the toy was in his brother's pink bedroom.

He saw a small kid robot in one of the cameras. He had striped clothes, a balloon in one hand, and a squirrel on his other shoulder. He had a squirrel tail and ears with what looked like peanut butter on his chin and lower jaw. He also had glasses on.

"Weird," Dee noted.

He found a screen with old versions of the toys. There was a worn-down Dragon Prince and Anx, a faceless Rem, and a lower jaw-less Pathos. If he remembered right, these were from the one location that was closed down in '85. Dee remembered Erik having plushie versions of them, plus the unnerving Princey plush that seemed like it was following your every move.

Then the toys started coming towards him. They started just wandering around. But then, one appeared in the vent. Dee wasn't so sure about the whole explanation the guy on the phone made. It seemed like they were trying to attack him.

Dee went back to the prize corner and wound the music box. 6 am was there very soon. On the way out, he kept thinking about that weird plushie...

———  
"Ah...hello, hello! Uh, see, I told you your first night wouldn't be a problem. You're a natural!"

Dee grinned. "I sure am."

"Uh, by now I'm sure you've noticed the older models sitting in the back room."

"Yeah."

"Uh, those are from the previous location. We just use them for parts now. The idea at first was to repair them...uh, they even started retrofitting them with some of the newer technology, but they were just so ugly, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess I can see where the company comes from."

"The smell...uh, so the company decided to go in a whole new direction and make them super kid-friendly. Uh, those older ones shouldn't be able to walk around, but if they do, the whole Prince head trick should work on them too, so, whatever."

"Okay, good."

"Uh...heh...I love those old characters. Did you ever see Anx the pirate?"

Dee smiled. "Yeah! He was my favorite."

"Oh wait, hold on...oh yeah, Anx. Uh, hey listen, that one was always a bit twitchy, uh...I'm not sure the Prince head trick will work on Anx, uh."

"I knew it couldn't be that easy."

"If for some reason he activates during the night and you see him standing at the far end of the hall, just flash your light at him from time to time. Those older models would always get disoriented with bright lights. It would cause a system restart, or something. Uh, come to think of it, you might want to try that on any room where something undesirable might be. It might hold them in place for a few seconds. That glitch might've carried over to some of the newer models too."

"Alright."

"One more thing - don't forget the music box."

"I won't."

"I'll be honest, I never liked that puppet thing. It's always...thinking, and it can go anywhere...I don't think a Prince mask will fool it, so just don't forget the music box."

Dee shifted around in his chair. "That's very comforting."

"Anyway, I'm sure it won't be a problem. Uh, have a good night, and talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, night."

That night went very similar to the last night. The robots moved a little more, and so did the older ones, but they only appeared a few times. Dee didn't enjoy wearing that acrid smelling Prince head, though.

It was 6 am. Dee sighed and left the building, glad to escape that place.


	5. The Investigation

"Hello hello! See? I told you you wouldn't have any problems!"

"Yeah, no killer robots or anything,"

"Did...uh... Did Anx ever appear in the hallway?"

"Yeah, he did, actually."

"Probably not. I was just curious. Like I said, he was always my favorite."

"Mine too."

"They tried to remake Anx, ya know?"

"Mhm, I know."

"Uh, they thought the first one was too scary, so they redesigned him to be more kid-friendly and put him in Kid's Cove. To keep the toddlers entertained, you know... But kids these days just can't keep their hands to themselves. The staff literally has to put Anx back together after every shift. So eventually they stopped trying and left him as some 'take apart and put back together' attraction. Now he's just a mess of parts. I think the employees refer to him as just "Emi." Uh..."

"Yeah, it's pretty sad."

"Oh, hey, before I go, uh, I wanted to ease your mind about any rumors you might have heard lately. You know how these local stories come and go and seldom mean anything. I can personally assure you that, whatever is going on out there, and however tragic it may be, has nothing to do with our establishment."

"What is it?"

"It's just all rumor and speculation... People trying to make a buck. You know... Uh, our guard during the day has reported nothing unusual. And he's on watch from opening til close. Okay, well anyway, hang in there and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The night was just like the last, the only difference was that the robots were a bit more aggressive. Dee didn't understand why the robots didn't just all attack at once with all their strength on the first night, while Dee was still getting used to the layout and was listening to the phone call. Well, he wasn't the robots, not now at least, so he didn't understand them. 

Just a few more nights. His dad promised him he he went through five nights and didn't want to do it, he wouldn't be made to do it. He could either be moved to day shift, to see how that suits him, or Dee could find a new job.  
———  
"Hello? Hello? Uh, hey there, night four! I told you you'd get the hang of it! Ok, so uh, just to update you, uh, there's been somewhat of an, uh, investigation going on."

"What investigation?"

"Uh, we may end up having to close for a few days... I don't know."

"Why wasn't I told this in person? This could lose me this job, if I actually wanted it."

"I want to emphasize though that it's really just a precaution. Uh, Prince Entertainment denies any wrongdoing. These things happen sometimes. Um... It'll all get sorted out in a few days."

Dee shifted nervously. Did those types of things happened regularly at the Prince establishments?

"Just keep an eye on things and I'll keep you posted. Uh, just as a side note though, try to avoid eye contact with any of the animatronics tonight if you can. Someone may have tampered with their facial recognition systems - we're not sure."

"Why were they still allowed to perform?"

"But the characters have been acting very unusual, almost aggressive towards the staff. They interact with the kids just fine, but when they encounter an adult, they just...stare."

"I thought that was just what they do. That's what they've been doing to me at least."

"Uh...Anyways, hang tight. It'll all pass. Good night!"

This night was actually getting difficult. KOTS, which was the squirrel kid's name, came and stole Dee's flashlight batteries multiple times. The music box also was dangerously close to running out. But, at least in the end, it worked out.

———  
"Hello? Hey, good job, night five! Um, hey, um, keep a close eye on things tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

"Um, from what I understand, the building is on lockdown, uh, no one is allowed in or out, y'know, especially concerning any...previous employees."

Dee was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Um, when we get it all sorted out, we may move you to the day shift, a position just became...available."

"Anything will be better than this."

"Uh, we don't have a replacement for your shift yet, but we're working on it. Uh, we're going to try to contact the original restaurant owner. Uh, I think the name of the place was..."Princey's Family Diner" or something like that."

Dee sighed. "Yeah. You mean Henrik? It's been a while since I've seen him. Him and my dad kind of had a falling out."

"It's been closed for years though, I doubt we'll be able to track anybody down. Well, just get through one more night! Uh, hang in there! Goodnight!"

"Night!"

It was even harder this night. They were super aggressive. A robot was in a vent or in the doorway every time Dee looked. But soon he would be moved to day shift, and he would never have to deal with this type of stuff again.  
———  
"Hello? Hello...uh...what on earth are you doing there, uh didn't you get the memo, uh, the place is closed down, uh, at least for a while."

This was news to Dee. Dee's father had told him to head over. His dad seemed...different. It was weird. Dee didn't want to hang around there any longer than he had to.

"Someone used one of the suits. We had a spare in the back, a yellow one, someone used it...now none of them are acting right. Listen j-just finish your shift it's safer than trying to leave in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, probably."

"Uh we have one more event scheduled for tomorrow, a birthday."

"I hate birthday parties."

"You'll be on day shift, wear your uniform, stay close to the animatronics, make sure they don't hurt anyone, okay?"

"Got it."

"Uh, for now just make it through the night, uh when the place eventually opens again I'll probably take the night shift myself. Okay, good night and good luck."

"Alright. Same to you."

That night was a nightmare. Robots popping in right after each other, giving Dee very little time to wind the music box. But it was over. And if he never saw this type of office again, it would be too soon.


	6. Introducing Eggs Benedict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee visits Sister Location, and we meet some new robotic friends.

"There's no doubting what you've achieved on a technical level." The guy speaking seemed kind of concerned but was trying to keep everything professional. "These are clearly state-of-the-art. There are just certain... 'design choices' that were made for these robots that we don't fully understand. We were hoping that you could shed some light on those."

The male who the speaker was talking to straightened his tie and stared coldly with his brown eyes.

"She can dance. She can sing. She's equipped with a built-in helium tank, inflating balloons right at her fingertips. She can take song requests. She can even dispense ice cream."

The speaker shifted a little awkwardly. "With all due respect, those were the design choices we were curious about, Mr. Logan."

———  
Daddy, why won't you let me play with them?

"Welcome to the first day of your exciting new career!" Greeted an almost monotonous voice. "Whether you were approached at a job fair, read our ad in Screws, bolts, and hairpins, or if this is the result of a dare, we welcome you. I will be your personal guide to help you get started. You can call me 'Google'. Your new career promises challenge, intrigue, and endless janitorial opportunities. Please enter your name as seen above the keypad. This cannot be changed later, so, please be careful."

A young man, most likely in his early twenties, stared at the malfunctioning keypad.

He tried to type the name "Dee".

"It seems that you had some trouble with the keypad," Google noted. "I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you. One moment. Welcome Eggs Benedict!"

Dee heaved a sigh and shook his head. These would be a long few days.

Some elevator music started to play.

"How are they able to afford music in this elevator just for security and technicians, but they can't raise my paycheck?" Dee asked himself.

"You can now open the elevator using that bright, red, and obvious button. Let's get to work!"

Dee gave the entrance a suspicious look. It was roped off by yellow police tape.

Dee sighed again. "Oh, well. Society is overrated anyway. Laws? Never heard of her."

"Allow me to fill this somewhat frightening silence with some lighthearted banter. Due to the massive success, and, even more so, the unfortunate closing of Dragon Prince's Pizza, it was clear that the stage was set (no pun intended) for another contender in children's entertainment."

Dee nodded and rolled his eyes a little. He knew this all already. His father had co-owned that place after all.

"Unlike most entertainment venues, our robotic entertainers are rented out for private parties during the day, and it's your job to get the robots back in proper working order before the following morning."

Of course. Not only does he have to stay at this dark and creepy robot place alone, but he will have to get up close and personal.

Up close and personal...

Dee shook his head. He couldn't think about that now. He had to focus on his task.

"You are now in the primary Control Module; it's actually a crawlspace between the two front showrooms," Google explained "Now, let's get started with your daily tasks. View the window to your left. This is the Host Gallery: Party Room and Dance Studio, encouraging kids to get fit and enjoy pizza! Let's turn on the light and see if Host is onstage. Press the blue button on the elevated keypad to your left."

Dee looked around the room. There were some weird robot baby-looking heads in the corners, along with a creepy clown mask on the wall above where he entered. In between the mask and the entrance was a very large fan. Dee went over to the right and booped the baby-robot's nose. It let out some weird goose honk, causing Dee to jump slightly.

He walked over to the keypad. There was a blue button with a sun-like thing on it. There was another button underneath it; a red one with a lighting bolt. He tried to press the red button, but it didn't seem to work. Finally, Dee presses the blue button, like he was instructed to do.

There was a small stage that was lit up. It didn't seem like there was anyone, or anything, on it.

"Uh oh!" Google said. "It looks like Host doesn't feel like dancing. Let's give him some motivation. Press the red button now to administer a controlled shock. Maybe that will put the spring back in his step."

"What were these designers thinking?" Dee asked aloud. 

These 'controlled shocks' probably wouldn't make the robots too happy.

But, the robot instructor guy had told him to do this. So...

Dee rammed his finger down, causing a huge visible shock to go through the Host Gallery. Seems like it worked now.

"Let's check the light again."

Dee did as he was told. He saw a robot with a weird bandage around his eyes and a beige trench coat twirling around. There were some strange ballerina clay dolls around him. 

"Excellent. Host's feeling like his old self again and will be ready to perform again tomorrow. Now, view the window to your right. This is the funtime auditorium where Marvin the Magnificent encourages kids to play and share. Try the light! Let's see what Marvin is up to."

Dee pressed the light button on the other keypad thing by Funtime Auditorium. Just an empty stage. Again. Why weren't they on their stages to begin with?

"Looks like Marvin is taking the day off. Let's motivate Marvin with a controlled shock."

Hopefully these robots didn't hold heavy grudges. Shooock!

The stage was still empty when Dee presses the button to light the room up.

"Let's try another controlled shock."

Dee did.

When he pressed the light, he finally saw an occupied stage. There stood Marvin with his mask, cat ears, and tail; all mainly white. Dee has always wondered whether the ears were a part of the mask or were just cat ears. Marvin held a magician wand in one hand and a few playing cards in another. He had a blue shirt and a black cape.

"Looks like Marvin is in perfect working order. Great job! In front of you is another vent shaft. Crawl through it to reach the Circus Gallery Control Module."

Dee dreaded this part. He didn't really like the robots, besides Anx, all that much. But he had a special hatred for Princey and Circus Baby.

"On the other side of the glass is Circus Baby's auditorium. Let's check the light and see what Baby is up to."

Dee, for what seemed like the thousandth time, pressed the light button. And the stage was empty. Of course.

"Looks like a few of the lights are out, but we can fix that later. Let's encourage Baby to cheer up with a controlled shock."

Dee really didn't like that. But it wasn't like he had a choice. When he lit the room up, the stage was still empty.

"Let's try another controlled shock."

Again, he pressed both buttons. Surprise surprise, Baby was still absent.

"Great job, Circus Baby. We knew we could count on you!"

Dee looked up at where the voice was coming from, confused.

"That concludes your duties for your first night on the job. We don't want you to leave overwhelmed; otherwise, you might not come back. Please leave using the vent behind you, and we'll see you again tomorrow."


	7. Circus Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee officially meets Circus Baby, and resets the control module while trying to not die. Just a typical work day.

Daddy, you let the other children go see her, why won't you let me go?

"Welcome back to another night of intellectual stimulation, pivotal career choices, and self-reflection on past mistakes," Google said.

Dee had made lots of mistakes, but he didn't really want to reflect on that. He tried to block them all out of his memory. It was better than having them plague his mind.

"We're committed to creating a unique and fulfilling work experience. One part of that commitment is ensuring that you don't get tired of the voice that you're hearing right now. Using the keypad below, please select a new companion voice. For male, press 1. For female, press 2. For text only, press 3. For other options, press 4."

Dee looked at the keypad in confusion. There...there weren't any numbers. Well, maybe they were doing a type of thing with a equals one, b equals two, and so forth. He pressed 'd' for other options.

"It seems that you had some trouble with the keypad. I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you. Thank you for choosing Angsty Teen."

Great.

"The elevator's stopped," notes the angsty teen voice. "You know the routine. Get out now, or whatever. Stay here if you want."

Dee didn't want to get out of the elevator, but he kind of had to. He reluctantly climbed into the vent. Good thing he didn't have claustrophobia.

"So, funny story, a dead body was found in this vent once. M'kay, so, not that funny, but, it's a story."

Dee looked around the vent cautiously. That was...great.

"Alright, so, let's start with your nightly chores. You should check on Host, and make sure he's on his stage, but, whatever."

Dee pressed the button. This was boring. Well, at least it was better than being attacked by the robots.

"Huh. I guess Host has better things to do. Let's zap him! That should be fun."

Half of Dee agreed with the disembodied voice while the other was asking what was wrong, with both Dee and the voice.

But the shock button didn't work.

"Let's check on Marvin, make sure he's ready for showtime tomorrow."

This time, the light button didn't work.

"Great... Great... Great..." repeated a deep distorted version of the angsty teen.

"There seems to have been a problem with the voice synthesizer," Google explained. "Default settings have been restored. Please proceed through the vent ahead of you to Circus Baby's Auditorium."

Dee entered the vent, now on edge from the whole "malfunction" thing.

"Circus Baby had a busy day today. Let's check the light and make sure she's in proper working order."

Again, the stage was empty. 

"Oh, Circus Baby! We aren't here to play hide and seek. Let's encourage Baby to come out of hiding with a controlled shock."

"This'll really come to get me later," Dee huffed.

Baby was still missing.

"Let's try another controlled shock."

It didn't work. Just like in the control module.

"There seems to be a power malfunction that is affecting our ability to properly motivate Baby. Please stand by while I reboot the system. I will be offline momentarily during this process. Various other systems may be offline as well, such as security doors, vent locks, and oxygen. Commencing system restart."

"Oxygen?" Dee repeated.

The lights turned off. A different voice announced all the vents opening.

"I don't recognize you," a voice, presumably Baby, spoke. "You are new. I remember this... scenario, however. It's a strange thing to want to do, to come here. I'm curious what events would lead a person to want to spend their nights in a place like this, willingly. Maybe curiosity? Maybe ignorance. There is a space under the desk; someone before you crafted it into a hiding place, and it worked for him. I recommend that you hurry, though. You will be safe there. Just try not to make eye contact. It will be over soon. They will lose interest."

Dee scrambled underneath the desk and closed a wall-thing with holes in it. So now Dee was cornered and had a small sheet of metal protecting him.

A small purple eye appeared. Dee quickly broke eye contact, like he was advised. Then, the thing tried to pull the metal sheet out to get to Dee. Dee grasped the sheet and pulled it closed again. Finally, it seemed like the situation was over.

"When your guide comes back online, he is going to tell you that he was unsuccessful," said Baby. "That you must restart the system manually. He will then tell you to crawl through Host Gallery as fast as you can to reach the breaker room. If you follow his instructions, you will die. Host will not return to his stage anymore. He will catch you. The power will be restored shortly. When you crawl through Host Gallery, go slowly. He cannot see you, and can only listen for your movement. When you hear his music become louder, he is growing near. Listening for you. Wait and be still."

Dee nodded, unsure wether to trust Baby or Google.

"Thank you for your patience." Google seemed like he was now back online. "It seems like the power system cannot be restarted automatically. You will need to restart the power system manually. Please return to the primary control module.

That's exactly what Baby said...maybe Dee would trust her after all.

Dee crawled through the vents, still watching out for those creatures or any dead bodies.

"You will now be required to crawl through the Host Gallery using the vent to your left to reach the breaker room. It is recommended that you stay low to the ground, and reach the other side as fast as possible, as to not disturb Host. I will deactivate myself momentarily, as to not create an auditory disturbance. Deactivating..."

Great, Dee thought. Now I'm back on my own.

Dee slowly made his way through Host Gallery. He heard a small music box, and halted. Right in front of him was Host. Just an arms-length away.

Dee was just reaching the door when a loud noise made him jump.

"It seems you are taking a long time," Google boomed. "Please proceed as quickly and as quietly as possible."

Dee scowled and entered the breaker room.

"You may now interface with the breaker control box," Google told him. "Using the interface may disrupt nearby electronics. If you feel that you are in danger, feel free to disconnect the interface temporarily, until it is safe to reconnect."

In small flashes of light, Dee spotted another robot in the corner wearing a superhero outfit looking thing. 

Dee looked at the monitor and started restarting it all.

"Sam, say hi to our friends!" The robot squealed.

Dee jumped, and put the monitor down. The robot was closer than before. Dee pressed a button to calm him down.

"Calm down and go back to sleep," a high pitched voice called. "No one is here."

Dee started resetting again.

"Hey Sam, I think that's the birthday boy over there. We should go give him a surprise!" The superhero laughed.

Dee pressed the calm down button.

"Shh, go back to your stage, everything is okay."

This repeated several times. 

"Heheheheh.Well HELLO AGAAAIN~ ♪"  
"I see you over there in the dark, c'mon now."

"Everything is okay. Let's go back to sleep."

"Hehehehe. I know you're over there somewhere."  
"I know you're over there SOMEWHEEERE~ ♪" 

"Oh, calm down, I think it was just a mouse.

Finally, Dee finished up the job.

"Great job," praised Google. "This completes your tasks for the night. Please proceed back through the Host gallery with care, and we'll see you back here tomorrow."


	8. Parts And Services

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Storytime with Baby, and some mechanic duties which Dee definitely shouldn’t be doing without any knowledge of the subject.

Daddy, just once, let me go play with her. She's so pretty and shiny. Didn't you make her just for me?

"Welcome back to another pivotal night of your thriving new career, where you get to really ask yourself; what am I really doing with my life? What would my friends say? And, most importantly, Will I ever see my family again?" 

"All good questions," Dee noted.

"We understand the stresses of a new job, and we're here for you," Google continued. "To help you reach a more stable and relaxing frame of mind, we offer several musical selections to help make this elevator ride as relaxing and therapeutic as possible. We offer contemporary jazz, classical, rain forest ambiance, as well as a wide selection of other choices. Using the keypad below, please type the first few letters of the musical selection you would prefer."

Dee started to type "contemporary jazz".

"It seems you had some trouble with the keypad. I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you. Thank you for selecting Casual Bongos."

"Of course."

"Now that your elevator experience has been customized to your needs, and you're thoroughly relaxed, it's worth mentioning that due to your lackluster performance yesterday, your pay has been decreased by a substantial amount. Please enjoy the rest of your descent."

"Thanks," Dee said dryly. "Good thing the pay isn't why I'm here."

"Due to unforeseen malfunctions form today's shows, your nightly duties will require you to perform maintenance that you may or may not be skilled enough to perform. It became necessary for technicians to attempt to disconnect Jackieboy Man's power module; however, they were unsuccessful. Allowing them to try again would be an inefficient path forward, as we would need to allow 6-8 weeks for recovery and physical therapy."

"Could I get some therapy?"

"You will need to reach the Parts & Service room on the other side of Funtime Auditorium to perform the procedure yourself. Let's check on Host first and make sure he's on his stage."

Dee pressed the button. It was...weird. All the characters were in...pieces.

"Great. It looks like everything is as it should be in Host Gallery. Let's check on Marvin. It's important to make sure he's on his stage before entering."

The same thing happened with Marvin.

"Great. It looks like everything is as it should be in Funtime Auditorium. There is no need to check on Baby tonight. Please refrain from entering unauthorized areas. Proceed directly to Funtime Auditorium."

Dee felt like that was a little too specific. So, he entered Circus Baby's place anyways.

Once in there, he scooted under the desk and pulled the metal sheet closed.

"Did you know that I was onstage once?" Baby asked. "It wasn't for very long - only one day. What a wonderful day, though. I was in a small room with balloons and a few tables. No one sat at the tables, though, but children would run in and out. Some were afraid of me. Others enjoyed my songs. Music was always coming from somewhere else, down the hall. I would always count the children. I'm not sure why. I was always acutely aware of how many were in the room with me. 2, then 3, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 2. Then none. They usually played together in groups of 2 or 3. I was covered in glitter. I smelled like birthday cake. There were 2, then 3, then 5, then 4. I can do something special - did you know that? I can make ice cream. Although I only did it once. There were 4, then 3, then 2, then 1. Something happened when there was 1. A little boy, standing by himself."

Dee tensed up.

"I was no longer myself. And I stopped singing. My stomach opened, and there was ice cream. I couldn't move - at least, not until he stepped closer. There was screaming for a moment, but only for a moment."

Dee felt tears forming in his eyes, but forced them back. Don't be a baby, Dee!

"Then other children rushed in again, but they couldn't hear him over the sounds of their own excitement. I still hear him sometimes. Why did that happen?"

"I...I don't know..." Dee truthfully responded.

He left through the vents and entered Funtime Auditorium.

"Unlike Host, Marvin is motion activated. For this reason, it is important to keep the room dark, as to not accidentally activate him. You have been provided with a flash beacon. Use it if you need to get your bearings, and to ensure you don't bump into anything. However, use it as sparingly as possible. Proceed forward to reach the Parts & Service room."

Dee took the flash beacon, which was sitting near the vent in the auditorium. He flashed the camera. All clear. He continued on, occasionally pausing to check for Marvin. He suddenly saw him there, a few feet northwest. It's malicious light blue eyes gleamed and it seemed as if the robot was right into Dee's soul. If he had one, that is. He saw Marvin a few more times.

Dee finally reached the parts and service room

"Great job reaching Parts & Service. It seems that Jackieboy Man is out of power, which should make your job much easier. The release switch for the chest cavity is located on the underside of the endoskeleton jaw. To reach it, we will first need to open the face plates. You will need to press the face plate release triggers in a specific order, and it's important to be as precise and as careful as possible. Locate the small button on Jackie's face, just under his right cheek, and press it."

Dee pressed the button that was under Jackie's right cheek.

"Great! Now locate the button under his left cheek and press it."

Dee did.

"Great! Now carefully locate and press the button next to Jackie's right eye."

Each time Dee stepped closer to the superhero robot, he felt paranoid that it would jump out and attack Dee.

"Great! Now carefully locate and press the button next just above Jackie's nose."

When Dee did that, the face opened instantly. Dee was so startled he stumbled back, almost falling down. His heart was pounding a thousand times a second. At least, that's what it felt like to him.

"Good job. The face plates should now be open. Locate and press the small button on the underside of Jackie's endoskeleton jaw."

The button was pressed. The chest opened, just like the face. This time, Dee did fall down. His face flushed, and for the first time he was kind of glad nobody else was there.

"Excellent. The chest cavity should now be open. Remove the power module from the chest cavity."

Dee slowly and carefully removed the power module, setting it down on the ground.

"Great work. You will now be required to remove the secondary power module from the Septiceye Sam on Jackieboy Man's shoulder. Press the small button beneath Sam's right cheek to release the power module."

Dee turned to press the button, just to find that Sam was missing. He spotted the Septiceye Sam, who was giggling, right next to Jackie's right leg. Dee quickly crouched down and pressed the button before Sam could react.

"Great work," said Google. "You've acquired both power modules. This completes your tasks for the night. Please exit the building through Funtime Auditorium, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow."

Dee carefully crawled through the auditorium. He didn't see Marvin the whole time.

Just as he was reaching the vent, Marvin jumped out at Dee.


	9. The Springlock Suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee tries to avoid dying once again

Daddy, she can make balloons! Have you seen her make balloons? Daddy, let me go to her!

"Shh!" Baby hushed.

Dee opened his eyes. He was in some sort of...enclosed place? He could see out of two small holes level with his eyes. He tried moving his arm a little, but stopped after feeling small bits of metal surrounding it. He knew what this was. A springlock suit. 

Dee slowly got his arm out, only getting a few light scratches.

"Be still and quiet. You've been sleeping for quite a while. I think they noticed that you never left the building last night. The cameras are searching for you. But they couldn't find you. I have you hidden too well. I kidnapped you. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I am only going to keep you for a little while. Try not to wiggle, though. You're inside something that came from my old pizzeria. I don't think it was ever used - at least, not the way it was ever meant to be used. Too dangerous. It's just big enough for one person to fit inside. But just barely."

Dee hates springlock suits, especially after the incident with his little brother, Erik.

"You're in the scooping room. Do you know why they call it 'the scooping room'?"

Dee didn't.

"It's because, dummy, this is the room where they use the scooper. I thought that would be obvious. Isn't that a fun name for something? 'The scooper.' It sounds like something you would use for ice cream, or custard, or sprinkles. It sounds like something you would want at your birthday party, to ensure that you get a heaping portion of every good thing. I wonder, though, if you were a freshly-opened pint of ice cream, how you would feel about something with that name. Thankfully, I don't think a freshly opened pint of ice cream feels anything at all."

Dee frowned. This was not his ideal Thursday night. He would prefer to be at home with a bowl of popcorn watching The Immortal and the Restless.

"Uh-oh. It sounds like someone else is in the building. Shh!"

Dee spotted two security guards nearby, moving Host. One had a shirt with a star on it while the other had a shirt with what looked like the Septiceye Sam eye.

"Okay, bring him over," instructed the star-shirt guy. "More, mooore... okay, stop. Set him down. Waaatch the step."

"What happened to it this time?" Asked the Sam-shirt guy.

The other responded. "Just seems like these things can't go a day without breaking down. Who knows? It's always the same. Some kind of hardware malfunction."

"Well, I have to be somewhere in, like, 15 minutes. This place gives me the creeps. Can we just get this over with? It's all automated, we don't have to be here for it. Just get it on the rollers and we can go."

There was suddenly loud noises, like a machine starting up. The conveyor belt in front of Dee started to move.

"There's something very important that I've learned how to do over time," spike Baby. "That is, how to pretend. Do you ever play make-believe? Pretend to be one way, when you are really the other?"

Dee remembered how he always used to wear his Anx mask, usually to scare his brother. After the bite, Dee tossed it.

"It's very important. Host never learns. But I do. They think there is something wrong on the inside. The only thing that matters is knowing how to pretend."

All of a sudden, Host was shocked with electricity. He was lurching, like he was in pain, until the shock subsided and he grew eerily still. Even though his eyes were covered, it seemed as if he was watching Dee.

"I'll open the face plates for you. That way, they can find you on the cameras. Now, all you have to do is wait. I'd recommend that you keep the springlocks wound up. Your breathing and your heartbeat are causing them to come loose. You don't want them to get too loose. Trust me."

Little creatures started climbing up the suit Dee was in. He found that wiggling a little bit would shake them off. But, it would also cause the springlocks to loosen up. Dee knew what would happen if that occurred. He did not want that.

After what seemed like an eternity, the creatures stopped climbing. 

Only one more night, Dee reassured himself.


	10. The Scooping Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee’s adventures at the Sister Location come to a close.

Daddy isn't watching.

"Welcome back to your last day on the job. This is it, the last day of your first week. Some of the most valued qualities that we like to see in new employees are determination, fearlessness, and a genuine disregard for instinctive self-preservation."

"Sure have that last one," Dee remarked.

"You've earned your one week bonus which will be given to you in the form of a delightful gift basket, the cost of which will be taken out of your next paycheck. We have gift baskets containing fruit, nuts, flowers, and of course, the ever-popular cash basket. Using the keypad below, please enter the first few letters of the gift basket you would like to receive."

"I'd like that cash basket please, even though it'll be taken from my paycheck anyway..."

"It seems you had some trouble with the keypad." 

"As always."

"I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you."

"Will you now?"

"Thank you for selecting Exotic Butters."

"Exotic butters?!" Dee repeated. "That'll be interesting to see."

"Please be aware that there are still two technicians on site today. Try to avoid interfering with their work, if possible. Also, feel free to ask them why they are still there, and encourage them to go home."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Dee mumbled.

"Let's check on Host, and make sure he's on his stage," instructed Google after Dee had made his way to the control module.

Dee noticed that the clown mask above the fan was missing.

Dee pressed the light button.

"Oh my god..."

It was the body of one of the technicians, hanged. Dee couldn't tell which, as he could only see the outline. But, whoever it was, was very dead.

"Great. Now, let's check on Marvin."

Pressing the light button, Dee saw the other technician who had suffered the same fate as the first. Dee felt like vomiting.

"Great. It looks like everything is as it should be in Funtime Auditorium. Your task today will involve more maintenance work. Circus Baby had a rough day, and is in need of repair. You will be required to reach the Parts & Service room by once again sneaking through Funtime Auditorium. As always, please proceed with caution."

Dee made his way through Funtime Auditorium. No Marvin. He still felt sick. This place was seriously messed up.

"Great job reaching Parts & Service."

Baby was lying lifelessly on a conveyor belt. Dee realized that he had never seen Baby the whole time he was working there. Of course, he had seen the robot before. She had short red hair, a white shirt with a blue collar, and a red scarf-type thing hanging from the collar. She had rosy red cheeks, like all of the other funtimes. She also had a blue skirt and tall white socks with black boots.

It made Dee sick looking at this robot. It looked so much like his little brother. Not Erik, his other little brother. The first and only day he saw Baby in person was the last day he saw his poor little brother.

"Circus Baby has been deactivated for an unknown reason. It's your job to make sure she's structurally stable and secured to the conveyor. Our technicians will take it from ther-"

"Can you hear me?" Baby asked. "I'm pretending. Remember how I said I could pretend? The cameras are watching. I must be careful not to move. Something bad happened yesterday. Something bad always happens. I don't want it to happen again. There is something bad... inside of me! I'm broken. I can't be fixed. I'm going to be taken to the scooping room soon, but it's not going to fix what's wrong with me. What is bad is always left behind. Will you help me?"

Dee nodded. That's why he came to this place, after all. To help them all.

"I want you to save what is good, so the rest can be destroyed and never recovered. But you must be careful. Host is here. In the room, with us."

Dee felt chills go up his spine. He looked around anxiously.

"Host will not return to his stage. Host will not return to his body. You must be careful. You must remain calm, and listen to my voice."

Dee nodded once again. "Okay."

"There is a button on my cheek. You must find it and press it."

Dee found it and pressed it.

"There is a passcode that you must enter before you can retrieve me. Enter the code carefully. 1. 2. 1. 4. 7. 5. 8. 2. 3. 7."

After each number, Dee pressed the corresponding button on the keypad.

"Good. A hatch should have opened. Take the card that you find inside."

Dee picked up the card.

"Now you must turn back. I will guide you through Funtime Auditorium so you can reach the scooping room. When you are there, I want you to destroy this body."

"What?! Won't that destroy you?!" Dee protested.

"Put the card into your handheld device, and I can continue to speak to you. Now, press the green button to your left. This will send me to the scooping room."

Dee, like any other time in his life, didn't have a choice. He pressed the button.

"You must follow my instructions in Funtime Auditorium. Host is going to follow you. He will try to catch you. I will help you avoid him. He will not follow you inside the scooping room; he is afraid. Go back now."

"Why is he afraid?" Dee murmured. "Should I be?"

Dee re-entered Funtime Auditorium.

"Go forward... Stop. Go forward and left... Keep going... Stop. Be silent. Go forward and left... Stop. Go forward. You are almost there... Stop. He is right in front of you. Don't move."

Dee started breathing heavy. He hated not seeing in the pitch black room.

"He is here to help, Host. He is not here to hurt us. Host, he is here to help us... Go forward again. Host is behind you. He is afraid of the scooping room; he will not follow you."

"I really don't like this scooping room..." Dee whispered.

"Warning: You've entered a highly dangerous area," Google announced. "You have entered from Maintenance Hatch 1B, reserved for cleaning and repair of the scooper. Entering this side of the room is strictly prohibited by unauthorized persone-"

"You are in the scooping room now," Baby said.

Dee looked around. In front of him was a giant claw, which Dee guesses was the scooper. Heads, limbs, and torsos of Marvin, Jackie, and Host were strewn about the room. Even the small Septiceye Sam was there. 

"Marvin has already been here today. Jackie has already been here today. Host has already been here today. Circus Baby has already been here today."

Dee's chest grew tight. Who was talking if it wasn't Baby?

"I've been out before, but they always put me back."

Dee saw them then. Against the glass. It was a bunch of wires and metal, topped off with the missing clown mask.

"They always put us back inside. There's nowhere for us to hide here. There is nowhere to go... when we look like this. But, if we looked like you, then we could hide. If we looked like you, then we would have somewhere to go."

"What are you getting to...?" Dee asked, panicking.

"The scooper only hurts for a moment."

Dee started breathing heavy. "No NO! Please, don't!"

But, of course, it didn't listen.

Don't tell daddy that I'm here. I wanted to watch the show too! I don't know why he won't let me come see you, you're wonderful! Where did the other children go?

——  
Dee stumbled to the mirror nearby. He felt...different. Bad. Not like before.

He opened his eyes. They were a vibrant purple.

———

"Father. It's me, Dee. I did it. I found it. It was right where you said it would be. They were all there. They didn't recognize at first...but then they thought I was you. And I found him. I...put him back together, just like you asked me to. He's free now. But something is wrong with me. I should be dead. But I'm not. I've been living in shadows. There is only one thing left for me to do now. I'm going to come find you."

"I'm going to come find you."


	11. Newer Place, Older Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All this stuff might be a little different chronologically from the actual FNAF timeline, but oh well-

"Hello, hello?"

"Hello," Dee yawned.

"Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact."

"Cool."

"So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine."

"Yeah, I've done this type of job before."

"So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know."

"Yep."

"Um, 'Welcome to Dragon Prince's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Prince Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"

"Fair enough."

"Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely nothing to worry about with the evil robots."

"Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."

"Got it."

"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

"Yeah...I know."

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on."

"Great excuse."

"Now since that's against the rules here at Dragon Prince's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Dragon Prince suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area."

"Of course."

"So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death."

"Because why wouldn't it?"

"Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh."

"That's nice."

"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."

The night was a breeze. About five years ago, Dee had worked at a previous location. It was much harder then, so Dee got in the hang of this pretty quickly. Only four robots opposed to ten. The only thing that really happened was Rem coming up to the window once and Pathos moving around. 6 am came before he knew it.  
———  
When Dee got home, he grabbed a newspaper with a certain article circled on it. It was about the old location, the '85 one. Dee had read all articles he could get on the Missing Children's Incident. It was the most he could do to try to make it up to them, although they didn't seem to really mind when they tried to attack him.

Dee read the article aloud to himself.

"Kids vanish are local pizzeria-bodies not found.

Two local children were reportedly lured into a back room during the late hours of operation at Dragon Prince's Pizza on the night of June 26th. While video surveillance identified the man responsible and led to his capture the following morning, the children themselves were never found and are presumed dead.

Police think that the suspect dressed as a company mascot to earn the children's trust."

Dee sighed. The presumed suspect they arrested was, in fact, not the real murderer. The real murderer was never caught, but he did suffer a horrible fate.

Dee laid down in bed, hoping to be able to sleep.  
———

"Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats! I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Prince and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses."

"Why is that though?"

"Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place."

Dee flipped up the monitor to the show stage like the guy on the phone told him to.

"You know...Uh... Interestingly enough, Prince himself doesn't come off stage very often."

"I mean, that's pretty good for me."

"I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right? I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors."

"Sure."

"So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react... Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course."

"Of course not."

"I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know."

"I wouldn't either."

"Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control!"

Dee laughed dryly.

"Uh, talk to you soon."

Dee gave a little two finger salute towards the phone. Rem appeared in the left door three times, to which Dee promptly shut that door right in his face. Pathos arrived in the right door once, causing Dee to also slam the door on his face. Anx the pirate cat peeled out of his cove a few times, but didn't approach the door.

The bells for 6 am were a welcome sound. Dee left the building, making sure his hat covered his face and his long sleeves hid his purple skin.


	12. The Phone Guy

"Hello, hello? Hey you're doing great!"

"Thanks," Dee grinned.

"Most people don't last this long."

"I guess I'm just a natural."

"I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant."

"That doesn't sound very convincing."

"Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh... Hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Prince suit, uhh, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that, uh, maybe they'll think that you're an empty costume instead. Then again if they think you're an empty costume, they might try to... stuff a metal skeleton into you."

"That would probably be worse than being stuffed in a suit."

"I wonder how that would work. Yeah, never mind, scratch that. It's best just not to get caught. Um... Ok, I'll leave you to it. See you on the flip side!"

"See you tomorrow."

The phone guy was right. It was more difficult. Dragon Prince started moving, making multitasking even more stressful. Rem and Pathos were also more aggressive and moved around faster.

But, just like the other nights, Dee was able to survive it.   
———  
Dee took a look at another article he had gathered a few weeks back. He didn't feel like he was getting anywhere with rereading these, but it didn't really hurt to try.

"Local pizzeria threatened with shutdown over sanitation.

Local pizzeria, Dragon Prince's Pizza, has been threatened again with shutdown by the health department over reports of foul oder coming from the much-loved robotic mascots.

Police were contacted when parents reportedly noticed what appeared to be blood and mucus around the eyes as mouth of the mascots. One parent compared them to 'reanimated carcasses'."  
———

"Hello, hello?"

"Greetings," yawned Dee. He stayed up all day and, it being 12 am and all, he was starting to get tired. At least he chugged a bunch of coffee before hand, so that should start to kick in soon.

"Hey! Hey, wow, day 4. I knew you could do it.  
Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow."

"What? Why?" Dee asked, concerned.

Dee heard a banging sound on the tape, probably from Foxy hitting the door.

"It's-It's been a bad night here for me. Um, I-I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you, uh, when I did."

Dee's eyes widened. He hoped that guy was okay. He started to like him.

"Uh, hey, do me a favor."

More of that banging on the doors.

"Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room?"

Even more doors being banged against.

"I'm gonna to try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won't be so bad."

"It will, though!"

Double bangs on the door.

"Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there."

The Toreador March, Prince's theme song Dee heard he played when the power went out, started to chime.

"You know..."

Dee heard a groan, one matching with either Rem or Pathos.

"oh, no-"

Dee heard a loud screech, then silence.

"Why did the company send these here? Did they even listen to them?" Dee asked himself. "Would they care if they did listen?"

Dee shrugged. "Probably not."

The night was even harder than before. Anx sprinted from Pirate's Cove over to the left door about three times. Rem and Pathos appeared maybe about six or seven times each, and Freddy appeared in the right door twice.

Dee was glad when the 6 am bell rang.  
———  
Dee was almost down with this week. He had gotten a notice after his shift that he would be let go at the end of the week for "tampering with the robots" and "foul oder". 

The "tampering with the robots" was to help them. Set their souls free.

And the "foul oder"? Well, Dee was an equivalent to a rotting carcass, so it would make sense

He started to read another article about the former pizza place.

"Five children now reported missing. Suspect convicted.

Five children are now linked to the incident at Dragon Prince's Pizza, where a man dressed as a cartoon mascot lured them into a back room.

While the suspect has been charged, the bodies themselves were never found.

Dragon Prince's Pizza has been fighting an uphill battle ever since to convince families to return to the pizzeria.

'It's a tragedy'."

———  
"Final night," Dee told himself as he sat in the office chair.

The phone call was just a weird incomprehensible message. It sounded like someone talking, but it was super distorted. It unnerved Dee a little bit. He hoped that phone guy wasn't dead.

Prince and Anx appeared four times each. Rem was in the doorway eleven times, while Pathos was by the left door nine times. Dee also swore that he saw a strange green, glitchy, limp version of Prince.

Then it was done. Dee could finally leave this restaurant. Because of his boss firing him, now Dee really didn't have to come back here.  
———  
Once Dee returned home, he read the final article about that certain incident out loud.

"Local pizzeria said to close at year's end.

After a long struggle to stay in business after the tragedy that took place there many years ago, Dragon Prince's Pizza has announced that it will close by year's end.

Despite a year-long search for a buyer, companies seem unwilling to be associated with the company.

'Those characters will live on. In the hearts of kids- these characters will live on.' -CEO."

Well, the company did get bought after a while. Dee forgot what happened exactly, but some upstart businessmen bought the business for pretty cheap, just a few hundred dollars. Those characters and restaurants never did die.


	13. The Return of Phone Guy

"He-hey! Glad you came back for another night!" Came a classic 'surfer dude' voice from the phone recording.

"Another?" Questioned Dee.

"I promise, it'll be a LOT more interesting this time! We found som-some great new relics over the weekend, and were out tracking down a new lead RIGHT NOW!"

Dee sighed. "This won't be good."

"So, uhh- let me just update you real quick, then you can get to work. Like, the attraction opens in like a week, so we have to make sure EVERYTHING works, and nothing catches on fire!"

Dee laughed nervously. 

"Uhm, when the place opens, people will come in at the opposite end of the building, and works their towards you, and PASS you, and out the exit. Uh, yeah you've officially become part of the attraction. Uh, you'll be starring as... The Security Guard! So not only will you be monitoring the people on the camera as they pass through, you know, to make sure no one STEALS anything or, makes out at the corner, but you'll also be a part of the show! It'll make it feel, really authentic I think. Uh, now let me tell you about what's new. We found another set of drawings, always nice, AND AN ANX HEAD!"

Dee's eyes lit up."Really?"

"Which we think could be authentic! Then again, it might just be another crappy cosplay."

Dee shifted a little. "Definitely not guilty of any of that kind of stuff..."

"And we found a desk fan, very old school, metal though, so watch the fingers!"

A suspicious glance was given to the fan by Dee.

"Uh, heh! Uhm, right now the place is basically just, you know, FLASHING LIGHTS and SPOOKY PROPS. I honestly thought we'd have more by now, uh so if we don't have anything really cool by next week, we may have to suit you up in a Prince suit, and make you walk around saying: 'BOOO!'"

Dee grinned. "I have some experience with that stuff."

"Hehe. Uh, but you know like I said, we're trying to track down, a good lead right now. Uh, some guy who helped design one of the buildings, said there was like, an extra room that got boarded up..?"

"The safe room, right?"

"Or something like that. So! Were gonna take a peak, and see what we can find. Uh, for now just get comfortable with the new setup. You can check the security cameras over on your right, with a click of that blue button. Uh, you can toggle between the Hall cams and the Vent cams. Uh, then over on your far left, you can flip up your maintenance panel. You know, use this to reboot any systems that may go offline."

"Sounds good."

"Uh, in trying to make the place feel more vintage we have overdone it a bit! Heh heh."

"A bit?"

"Some of this equipment is BARELY functional! Uh, I wasn't joking about the fire, that- that's a real risk."

"Yep," Dee replied, messing around with a lighter that was in his pocket.

"Uhm, but the MOST IMPORTANT THING, you have to watch for, is the ventilation."

"Eh, breathing is overrated."

"Look, this place will give you the spooks man, and if you let that ventilation go offline, then you'll start seeing some craaazy stuff man, keep that air blowing!"

"I bet I'll see crazy stuff no matter what," Dee pointed out.

"Ok, keep an eye on things, and we'll try to have something new for ya' tomorrow night."

"It would also be nice if you didn't," grumbled Dee.

Flipping up the monitor, Dee could tell he was in for a long five nights. There was the regular cameras, a vent system, and a ventilation restart panel. 

Why did Dee even have to wait the whole week anyway? What if he just burned this place to the ground? But, Dee had made a promise. For some reason he couldn't explain, Dee just knew that if he didn't wait out these next few days, the souls wouldn't get their rest. This should be the last place, a building with the last few relics of the old locations.

It wouldn't be, though. Dee still had to find some way to gather and get rid of the Circus Baby's Pizza World robots. The Host, Marvin the Magnificent, Jackieboy Man, and Circus Baby herself. And then these children could be at peace at last.

Anyways, Dee finished up the shift without a problem. There were no robotic creatures anywhere, but he had a feeling this "lead" that phone dude was talking about would change that statement.  
———  
"Hey man!"

"Hey!" Dee greeted.

"Ok, I have some awesome news for you! First of all: We found some vintage audio traning cassettes. Dude, these are like, prehistoric! I think they were like, training tapes, for like other employees or something like that."

Dee perked up.

"So, I thought we could like, have them playing, like over the speakers while people walk through the attraction? Dude, that makes this feel, LEGIT man. But I have an even better suprise for you, and you're not gonna belive this! We found one. A REAL one."

"Oh no..."

Uh, oh uhm, gotta go man! W-well look I-It's in "there somewhere, I-I'm sure you'll see it. Okay, I'll leave you with some of this great audio I found. Talk to you later man!"

"Later."

"Uh, hello! Hello, hello!"

"Phone guy!" Dee exclaimed.

"Uh, welcome to your new career as a performer/entertainer for Dragon Prince's Pizza. Uh, these tapes will provide you with much needed information on how to handle/climb into/climb out of mascot costumes. Right now, we have two specially designed suits that double as both animatronics and suits."

"Oh, this is from the '85 location again, right?"

"So please pay close attention while learning how to operate these suits as accidents/injuries/death/irreparable and grotesque maiming can occur. First and most discussed is how to operate the mascots while in robotic form. For ease of operation, the robots are set to turn and walk towards sounds they hear which is an easy and hands-free approach to making sure the robots stay where the children are for maximum entertainment/crowd-pleasing value. To change the animatronics to suit mode, insert and turn firmly the hand crank provided by the manufacturer. Turning the crank will recoil and compress the animatronic parts around the sides of the suit, providing room to climb inside. Please make sure the spring locks are fastened tight to ensure the animatronic devices remain safe."

Dee nodded absentmindedly. He already knew all this stuff.

"We will cover this in more detail in tomorrow's session. Remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

Dee gave a mocking cheesy smile before flipping the monitor up. He looked through the different cameras.

"Uh oh..." Dee mumbled.

Looking directly into the camera was a robot pink werewolf-type thing. Dee recognized it. It was named "Wilford Warfstache". Though this seemed to be destroyed, multiple patches of the plush suit missing. That was a springlock suit, the one his dad regularly used. There was also speculation that it was the one...Dee stopped that train of thought there.

If Dee looked close enough, he spotted what seemed to be blood dried around the eye and mouth area, as well as what seemed to be some red rotting object that could be seen in the missing patches.

Just survive until 6, Dee reminded himself. You've done this before.

The screen suddenly turned to static. 

"Stupid old technology," Dee mumbled.

When the camera feed returned, the robot, which Dee decided to call "Warftrap", was gone. He was cycling through the cameras when he saw a strange version of KOTS, all his color faded to dark grays and blacks.

It jumped out at Dee, causing the 23-year-old to fall out of his chair. All of a sudden, it disappeared. Like a phantom...

The night wasn't incredibly difficult. Warftrap moved around a little, but didn't reach the door. Now that he thought about it, Dee didn't know what he'd do if it reached the door. There wasn't any lock or Princey head to protect him this time.

Some more of the phantoms appeared as well. As well as KOTS, Dee ran into the Puppet, Pathos, Dragon Prince, and Emi. 

Hopefully tomorrow won't be too difficult, Dee thought with a small huff as 6:00 am flashed on the digital clock in front of him.

"Oh, what am I kidding?" Dee smirked, making his way out of the building.


	14. Burnt To The Ground

"Uh, hello, hello," came the voice of the phone guy. "Uh, for today's lesson, we will be continuing our training on proper suit-handling techniques."

"Great," Dee said, checking through the cameras.

"When using an animatronic as a suit, please ensure that the animatronic parts are tightly compressed and fastened by the spring locks located around the inside of the suit. It may take a few moments to position your head and torso between these parts in a manner where you can move and speak. Try not to nudge or press against any of the spring locks inside the suit. Do not touch the spring locks at any time. Do not breathe on the spring locks, as moisture may loosen them, and cause them to break loose."

Dee cringed slightly, remembering his brother's birthday...

"In the case of the spring-locks come loose while you are wearing the suit, please try to maneuver away from populated areas before bleeding out, as to not ruin the customers' experience."

"So basically, if I'm dying, just do it quietly and somewhere else so that I don't disturb anyone else?"

"As always, if there is ever an emergency, please go to the designated safe room. Every location is built with one extra room that is not included in the digital map layout programmed in the animatronics or the security cameras. This room is hidden to customers, invisible to animatronics, and is always off-camera. As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

The night was over quickly. Towards the end of his shift, Dee saw the Warftrap enter the room right across from the office. At least he made it, though. Dee hoped the same could be said for the rest of the nights.  
———

"Uh, hello? Hello, hello! Uh, there's been a slight change of company policy concerning use of the suits. Um, don't. After learning of an unfortunate incident at the sister location, involving multiple and simultaneous spring lock failures, the company has deemed the suits temporarily unfit for employees."

"Was it when...Erik...?"

"Safety is our top priority at Dragon Prince's Pizza, which is why the classic suits are being retired to an appropriate location, while being looked at by our technician. Until replacements arrive, you'll be expected to wear the temporary costumes provided to you. Keep in mind that they were found on very short notice, so questions about appropriateness/relevance should be deflected. I repeat, the classic suits are not to be touched, activated or worn. That being said, we are free of liability, do as you wish."

"That...isn't a very good thing to tell your employees."

"As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

"Yep."

This time, Dee spotted the Warftrap up close. It stood directly in the doorway, and Dee was overwhelmed with the scent of rotten flesh, blood, and decay. Dee just sort of...looked at the robot until his shift was over. For some reason, those murky plastic-looking green-brown eyes seemed somewhat familiar...  
———  
"Hello? Hello? Um, this is just a reminder of company policy concerning the safe room. The safe room is reserved for equipment and/or other property not being currently used and is in fact a safety location for employees only. This is not a break room, and should not be considered a place for employees to hide and/or congregate - and under no circumstance should a customer ever be taken into this room and out of the main show area."

Dee tensed up a little.

"Management has also been made aware that the Wilford Warfstache animatronic has been noticeably moved. We would like to remind employees that this costume is not safe to wear under any circumstances. Thank you and remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

That night was...stressful, to say the least. The ventilation system regularly shut down, so Dee had to restart it on the tablet multiple times. This gave Warftrap time to move around.

The phantoms didn't make anything better. They jumped out at Dee a bunch, causing the ventilation to be even more messed up and in need of resetting.

Warftrap quickly moved from room to room. The only way to draw it back was by using a distraction, something mimicking a child's voice to lure the robot towards it. Most would presume it was to entertain the child; it was a robot in a pizzeria for children, after all. But Dee had an odd suspicion that it was something else...  
———  
"Uh, hello? Hello? Uh, this is just to inform all employees that due to budget restrictions, the previously mentioned safe rooms are being sealed at most locations, including this one."

Dee's brow furrowed. "I don't think that 'budget restrictions' caused that. Wouldn't it cost more to seal it up?"

"Work crews will be here most of the day today, constructing a false wall over the old door base. Nothing is being taken out beforehand, so if you've left anything inside, then it's your own fault."

"Is that where that phone dude found Warftrap?"

"Management also requests that this room not be mentioned to family, friends or insurance representatives."

Dee whistled. "Totally not shady whatsoever."

"Thanks again, and remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

Dee finished that night, as usual. But right after his shift ended, he had a strange vision...

The dismembered versions of the Dragon Prince, Pathos, Rem, and Anx robots were scattered across the floor. Two shadowy figures stood nearby. One had a mustache and a top hat, bearing the horns, tail, and costume of Dragon Prince. The other had short spiky hair and a brown leathery jacket instead of Rem's black one. He also sported Rem's 'SLEEP' sign on his chest and the rabbit ears and tail. This strange Shadow Rem was missing the sunglasses, showing piercing blue eyes. The vision shifted into another room. There were faint, ghost-like images of five children. Three of them had brown hair, one of them had a dyed purple hair, and the other had a dark green color to his hair. All five were young boys, the oldest (the one with the green hair) seemed to be no older than nine or ten. The youngest, one dressed in light blue with freckles and glasses, looked to be maybe three or four. They were all staring at a tall man with dark brown hair and glasses. Dee froze. He recognized that man. It was his father...What was he doing? Nearby lay a Wilford Warfstache suit. Dee's father, Logan, had a crazed look in his eye. Looking close enough, though, Dee could sense a slight bit of fear. Dee was suddenly struck by a realization. These kids...they were the five in the Missing Children's Incident! That would mean his father was... Dee had heard assumptions that Logan was the true murderer. It fit with everything; him being an employee, him working close with kids, and especially the fact that he constantly worked with the Wilford suit. But Dee hadn't truly believed it. He wanted to believe his father was a good man, but... In the vision, one of the children, the green-haired one, started walking towards Logan. The man stepped a few paces back, then again and again as the child kept drawing nearer. In desperation, Logan eyed the nearby suit. He got into, laughing crazily at the children. Then, the roof leaked right above. One drop of water was enough to cause all the springlocks in the suit to clamp back together, puncturing Logan's whole body. The spirits then faded away, leaving Logan in the rotting suit, where he would soon become what Dee had named 'Warftrap'.

Dee awoke from his vision. Before he left, he had just one thing to do. He moved over to all the wires where there were complaints about "faulty wiring". Then, Dee set it all ablaze. Dee didn't make it out unscarred, though. The whole right part of his face got burned, marking his skin in a way that seemed similar to snake scales. 

Prince's Fright burns to the ground! A new local attraction based on an ancient pizzeria chain burned down overnight. Authorities have not ruled out foul play, but at the moment it seems to have been caused by faulty wiring. Very little was found at the scene. The few items that were salvaged will be sold at public auction.


	15. Burnt To The Ground

"Uh, hello, hello," came the voice of the phone guy. "Uh, for today's lesson, we will be continuing our training on proper suit-handling techniques."

"Great," Dee said, checking through the cameras.

"When using an animatronic as a suit, please ensure that the animatronic parts are tightly compressed and fastened by the spring locks located around the inside of the suit. It may take a few moments to position your head and torso between these parts in a manner where you can move and speak. Try not to nudge or press against any of the spring locks inside the suit. Do not touch the spring locks at any time. Do not breathe on the spring locks, as moisture may loosen them, and cause them to break loose."

Dee cringed slightly, remembering his brother's birthday...

"In the case of the spring-locks come loose while you are wearing the suit, please try to maneuver away from populated areas before bleeding out, as to not ruin the customers' experience."

"So basically, if I'm dying, just do it quietly and somewhere else so that I don't disturb anyone else?"

"As always, if there is ever an emergency, please go to the designated safe room. Every location is built with one extra room that is not included in the digital map layout programmed in the animatronics or the security cameras. This room is hidden to customers, invisible to animatronics, and is always off-camera. As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

The night was over quickly. Towards the end of his shift, Dee saw the Warftrap enter the room right across from the office. At least he made it, though. Dee hoped the same could be said for the rest of the nights.  
———

"Uh, hello? Hello, hello! Uh, there's been a slight change of company policy concerning use of the suits. Um, don't. After learning of an unfortunate incident at the sister location, involving multiple and simultaneous spring lock failures, the company has deemed the suits temporarily unfit for employees."

"Was it when...Erik...?"

"Safety is our top priority at Dragon Prince's Pizza, which is why the classic suits are being retired to an appropriate location, while being looked at by our technician. Until replacements arrive, you'll be expected to wear the temporary costumes provided to you. Keep in mind that they were found on very short notice, so questions about appropriateness/relevance should be deflected. I repeat, the classic suits are not to be touched, activated or worn. That being said, we are free of liability, do as you wish."

"That...isn't a very good thing to tell your employees."

"As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

"Yep."

This time, Dee spotted the Warftrap up close. It stood directly in the doorway, and Dee was overwhelmed with the scent of rotten flesh, blood, and decay. Dee just sort of...looked at the robot until his shift was over. For some reason, those murky plastic-looking green-brown eyes seemed somewhat familiar...  
———  
"Hello? Hello? Um, this is just a reminder of company policy concerning the safe room. The safe room is reserved for equipment and/or other property not being currently used and is in fact a safety location for employees only. This is not a break room, and should not be considered a place for employees to hide and/or congregate - and under no circumstance should a customer ever be taken into this room and out of the main show area."

Dee tensed up a little.

"Management has also been made aware that the Wilford Warfstache animatronic has been noticeably moved. We would like to remind employees that this costume is not safe to wear under any circumstances. Thank you and remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

That night was...stressful, to say the least. The ventilation system regularly shut down, so Dee had to restart it on the tablet multiple times. This gave Warftrap time to move around.

The phantoms didn't make anything better. They jumped out at Dee a bunch, causing the ventilation to be even more messed up and in need of resetting.

Warftrap quickly moved from room to room. The only way to draw it back was by using a distraction, something mimicking a child's voice to lure the robot towards it. Most would presume it was to entertain the child; it was a robot in a pizzeria for children, after all. But Dee had an odd suspicion that it was something else...  
———  
"Uh, hello? Hello? Uh, this is just to inform all employees that due to budget restrictions, the previously mentioned safe rooms are being sealed at most locations, including this one."

Dee's brow furrowed. "I don't think that 'budget restrictions' caused that. Wouldn't it cost more to seal it up?"

"Work crews will be here most of the day today, constructing a false wall over the old door base. Nothing is being taken out beforehand, so if you've left anything inside, then it's your own fault."

"Is that where that phone dude found Warftrap?"

"Management also requests that this room not be mentioned to family, friends or insurance representatives."

Dee whistled. "Totally not shady whatsoever."

"Thanks again, and remember to smile; you are the face of Dragon Prince's Pizza."

Dee finished that night, as usual. But right after his shift ended, he had a strange vision...

The dismembered versions of the Dragon Prince, Pathos, Rem, and Anx robots were scattered across the floor. Two shadowy figures stood nearby. One had a mustache and a top hat, bearing the horns, tail, and costume of Dragon Prince. The other had short spiky hair and a brown leathery jacket instead of Rem's black one. He also sported Rem's 'SLEEP' sign on his chest and the rabbit ears and tail. This strange Shadow Rem was missing the sunglasses, showing piercing blue eyes. The vision shifted into another room. There were faint, ghost-like images of five children. Three of them had brown hair, one of them had a dyed purple hair, and the other had a dark green color to his hair. All five were young boys, the oldest (the one with the green hair) seemed to be no older than nine or ten. The youngest, one dressed in light blue with freckles and glasses, looked to be maybe three or four. They were all staring at a tall man with dark brown hair and glasses. Dee froze. He recognized that man. It was his father...What was he doing? Nearby lay a Wilford Warfstache suit. Dee's father, Logan, had a crazed look in his eye. Looking close enough, though, Dee could sense a slight bit of fear. Dee was suddenly struck by a realization. These kids...they were the five in the Missing Children's Incident! That would mean his father was... Dee had heard assumptions that Logan was the true murderer. It fit with everything; him being an employee, him working close with kids, and especially the fact that he constantly worked with the Wilford suit. But Dee hadn't truly believed it. He wanted to believe his father was a good man, but... In the vision, one of the children, the green-haired one, started walking towards Logan. The man stepped a few paces back, then again and again as the child kept drawing nearer. In desperation, Logan eyed the nearby suit. He got into, laughing crazily at the children. Then, the roof leaked right above. One drop of water was enough to cause all the springlocks in the suit to clamp back together, puncturing Logan's whole body. The spirits then faded away, leaving Logan in the rotting suit, where he would soon become what Dee had named 'Warftrap'.

Dee awoke from his vision. Before he left, he had just one thing to do. He moved over to all the wires where there were complaints about "faulty wiring". Then, Dee set it all ablaze. Dee didn't make it out unscarred, though. The whole right part of his face got burned, marking his skin in a way that seemed similar to snake scales. 

Prince's Fright burns to the ground! A new local attraction based on an ancient pizzeria chain burned down overnight. Authorities have not ruled out foul play, but at the moment it seems to have been caused by faulty wiring. Very little was found at the scene. The few items that were salvaged will be sold at public auction.


	16. New Job

Dee sat down at a desk playing an introduction type thing with 90's-like drawings.

"It's a new day. It's your time to shine! It's time to take your career into your own hands. You've saved up all your money; great!"

"Nah, I'm still pretty broke."

"Now it's time to put all your eggs into one basket and take a huge gamble on your future. A gamble that comes with a 100% chance of success (in some cases)."

"Then that isn't 100%," Dee stated, confused.

"What are we talking about? We're talking about becoming a Dragon Prince franchisee. That's right. Restaurant ownership and management. Something almost anyone can do with a limited degree of success. Sure, it's a lot of money to invest. But everyone's doing it. And that means it's safe... and lucrative."

"I don't think it's either."

"With your initial investment, you'll receive everything you need to get started. Use it to decorate, buy a stage, buy attractions and animatronics, and much, much more. Now, let's take a look at a few things that will help you get started as a Dragon Prince franchisee."

"Okay," Dee yawned, lounging sideways in the chair.

"Such as:

1\. Atmosphere  
Making sure your establishment has an inviting atmosphere is essential to bringing in new customers.

2\. Entertainment  
Having a lot of entertainment value in your restaurant will ensure that customers come back.

3\. Bonus Revenue  
Coin-operated games and attractions can generate additional revenue during the day. Which means more money in your pocket; ready for investment.

4\. Health & Safety  
There may be times when you purchase something of questionable quality and we don't blame you. Cutting corners is just good business."

"Yeah, totally."

"But there are steps you can take to ensure you don't get sued for it.

And that brings us to...

5\. Liability  
Being a thrifty shopper is smart. But be aware that buying things on sale comes with a certain amount of risk. Aside from the daily risk of lawsuits, there's also the risk that something might be hiding inside whatever you just purchased with that steeply discounted price tag."

"How many times would that sort of stuff have to happen for them to include it on here?" Dee asked himself.

"Of course, that would only be serious danger if there was something outside that's been trying to get it for months."

"That is oddly specific."

"Which we are not confirming to be the case."

"Of course not," Dee responded.

"This concludes the amount of help we are legally obligated to provide."

Dee stared at the computer screen. "How much information are you not providing then?"

"Remember, you are now the face of the newly-branded Dragon Prince's Pizza. Wear that smile with pride and let's make some money!"

"Alright then, let's get to work..."

After a few hours, Dee had replaced the plain cups and plates with multicolored ones. He also set up a small ball pit, a balloon stand, and hung some paper plate characters on the walls. 

It was then time to open.

Only a few people came inside that day. The few little children played in the ball pit and chased each other around. But, hey, at least there weren't any lawsuits.

Dee then headed to the office after the restaurant closed so he could restock supplies. It took so long on the old laggy computer, but he completed his tasks without any incident.

Right as he was going to leave, he found a small note on his desk. It told him to head over to another room in the corner of the restaurant. There was also a key to unlock the door.

Dee headed over there and sat down. He then looked up and spotted it.

It was Baby, but she was...different. Her hair seemed to be composed of wires, her eyes were just dark voids with a small pinprick of white for her pupils, and she had what seemed to be a large lobster-like claw in place of one of her hands. Her outfit was ripped up, showing her robotic torso. She also wore rollerskates on her feet for some reason.

Dee spotted a small checklist and a cassette tape on the desk. Dee pressed 'play' on the cassette.

"Congratulations on completing your first day. However, your job isn't over just yet. Zhere is anozher aspect of your 'end of zay routine'." Came a voice with a thick German accent.

"Und zhat is inspecting und salvaging any animatronics found in zhe alley, outside of zhe back door. Zhings are found here quite often. Und vhile ve aren't sure vhy, vhat ve do know, is zhat zhey can be used for parts. Vhich can mean a much needed revenue boost before starting your next day. Of course, as vith everyzhing else in zhis line of vork, zhose benefits come vith risks."

"Of course," said Dee.

"Zhe safest zhing to do is to throw it back outside. But zhen, you get no money from zhe salvage. Choose to keep it und you run zhe risk of certain negative consequences. Mainly, death."

Dee sighed. "Nothing new there."

"Should zhe item in question not to be as docile as it first appeared. If you do decide to try to salvage it, zhen you must complete zhe maintenance checklist. During zhis testing phase, check on zhe animatronic frequently. If you feel zhat it is becoming unstable, use zhe taser provided to you. You can use it zhree times vithout damaging zhe hardvare. Every use OVER zhree, however, vill decrease zhe item's salvage value."

Dee nodded. "Okay."

So, basically, he just had to make sure Baby didn't move. If she did, shock her, but don't shock her just because. If you do, then you won't get as much money. But if he didn't shock her when she moved, she would probably kill Dee. Simple enough.

"Begin audio prompt in drei... zwei... ein."

A loud ringing sound boomed from the cassette. No reaction.

This happened a few more times. No reaction.

The cassette man announced the upcoming audio prompt once again.

"Begin audio prompt in drei-"

The cassette turned off.

"Two...one," came the voice of Baby. Then, her eyes shifted to look directly at Dee.

Dee booked it out of there.


	17. Midnight Motorist and Fruity Maze

Dee decided to buy a few more games. He bought a car game called Midnight Motorist, where you have to avoid the other cars, and a maze game called Fruity Maze, where you have to gather all the fruit in the maze before the time runs out.

Since it was still a couple more hours until the restaurant would open, Dee had some time to kill. So, he decided to play test Midnight Motorist.

The game was pretty simple. There were four laps, and Dee just had to pass all of them as fast as he could. If his purple car bumped into another car, it would slow him down.

But on the fourth lap, Dee spotted a small gap at the bottom of the screen. Dee drove his car into that gap.

This sent him to a long road. Dee had the car go to the left at a fork in the road. There was a building with a sign that read "JR.'S".

A man stood at the entrance. Dee parked the car. He almost fell back in surprise as when a man stepped out of the car, it was an exact replica of Dee's father. Logan moved towards the restaurant. The man standing there looked over at him.

"Come on, you know you can't be here," the man told Logan. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. 

Logan stared at the man with emotionless brown eyes before walking back towards his car. Dee, still in a bit of shock, continued the car down the road until it reached a familiar looking house.

Logan entered the house, where an 8-bit version of young Dee sat on a chair watching TV. 

The Dee in the game looked over at Logan before quickly shifting his gaze back to the television.

Logan continued on to Erik's room. He tried opening the door, but it was locked.

"I told you not to close your door," Logan said, eyes glaring at the door.

"This is my house, he can't ignore me like that," Logan grumbled to himself.

"OPEN THE DOOR."

When the door didn't budge, Logan clenched his 8-bit fists. "I'll find a way in from outside."

Dee moves the game Logan outside of the house to the place right behind Dee's brother's room. The window was smashed, and there were footprints in the mud showing which direction Erik had taken off in.

"Ran off to that place again," Logan said to himself. "He will be sorry when he gets back."

The game suddenly turned dark before going back to the menu screen. 

Dee, unsettled, opened up the restaurant for the day.  
———  
"Before you is an animatronic found in zhe back alley. Ve are unsure of its origins...It is your job to complete zhe maintenance checklist before claiming it as salvage," the cassette man explained.

"Of course it's my responsibility," Dee huffed.

In front of Dee sat what seemed to be a broken and molten version of Jackie. His bottom half of his torso and down was replaced with thick wires.

"Or... if you choose to... you can zhrow it back in to zhe alley vhere you found it und forfeit payment. Please make your choice now."

Dee, having no regard for his own safety, decided to salvage it.

"You have chosen to proceed vith zhe maintenance checklist. Remember, use your accompanied issued taser to return zhe animatronic to a neutral state if you feel zhat it's becoming unstable or aggressive. You can only use it zhree times before it begins to damage zhe animatronic und decrease its value."

Dee nodded.

"Begin audio prompt in drei...zwei... ein."

The cassette player five audio prompts. The Molten Jackie moved once, causing Dee to shock the robot. But other than that, the broken robot was still.

"You have completed zhe maintenance checklist and may proceed vith zhe salvage. Vell done. End tape."

"Thanks," Dee said, smirking.

As Dee made his way out of the building, he heard the voice of Molten Jackie.

"Thanks for letting me join the pa-a-arty. I-I'll try no-o-ot to disappoint."  
———  
Dee decided to play the Fruity Maze game after he bought a few more games, like the play area and a basketball game.

The game started off normally. There were a few power ups to help gather all of the fruit. Whenever Dee got a certain number of fruit, an image of a small boy with freckles and glasses popped up with the words "Time Extended". The boy wore a light blue shirt, a gray cardigan, and was smiling brightly.

Dee beat the game rather quickly. Just because, he played the game again. It was...different this time, though.

The usual cheerful and upbeat music sounded a little distorted. Every once in a while, instead of a fruit, there would be what seemed like a dog lying down. On the very edge of the maze was a small grinning pink wolf. When Dee gathered enough fruit, the little boy was now frowning instead of smiling. 

After he finished that game, Dee wanted to play it again, just to see if something else changed. Something did.

The music was now completely broken. All the fruit was now replaced with dogs, all lying in their own blood. The pink wolf appeared in multiple places, bearing that malicious grin. The little boy was now crying with the Wilford Warfstache robot looming behind him.

Dee, somehow, lost that game.

"He is not dead," the Wilford Warfstache told the boy. Dee realized with a shudder that this must be his father in that suit.

"He is over here. Follow me..."

The game turned off, and Dee started the day feeling really uncomfortable and weird.  
———  
"Before you is an animatronic found in zhe back alley. Ve are unsure of its origins...It is your job to complete zhe maintenance checklist before claiming it as salvage," the cassette man explained.

Across from Dee sat an even more torn up version of Warftrap. It still stunk like a rotting body.

"Or... if you choose to... you can zhrow it back in to zhe alley vhere you found it und forfeit payment. Please make your choice now."

Dee, still having no regard for his personal safety, decided to salvage it.

"You have chosen to proceed vith zhe maintenance checklist. Remember, use your accompanied issued taser to return zhe animatronic to a neutral state if you feel zhat it's becoming unstable or aggressive. You can only use it zhree times before it begins to damage zhe animatronic und decrease its value. Begin audio prompt in drei...zwei... ein."

The cassette player five audio prompts once again. Warftrap moved twice, causing Dee to shock the robot. But other than that, the broken robot was still.

"You have completed zhe maintenance checklist and may proceed vith zhe salvage. Vell done. End tape."

This time, as Dee left the building, he could hear Warftrap's voice.

"What a deceptive calling. I knew it was a lie, the moment I heard it, obviously. But it is intriguing nonetheless..."


	18. Security Puppet and Candy Cadet

The Security Puppet was unnerving to say the least. It seemed like it was supposed to be likable for kids, but to Dee it was just creepy.

As Dee looked at it, he suddenly got a vision, much like the one he got before he burned down the horror attraction.

The Security Puppet peeked up occasionally from his box. He was looking for kids with a green bracelet according to a note above him.

Kids ran past with bracelets of all sorts of colors besides green.

Suddenly, a little boy wearing a hat came up to the window. He was frowning and jumping. On his wrist was a small green bracelet. He then seemed to slowly fade away. While Dee was looking at the boy, a smaller box appeared on the Puppet's box.

The Puppet hit against the box until it fell off. He got out of his box and went outside, trying to find the boy. 

It was raining out. The rain started to slow the Puppet down, making him have to start crawling. The Security Puppet reached the boy. He was lying down in an alleyway, blood surrounding him. Dee snapped out of the vision.  
———

Mr. Cassette Man went through all of his usual chatter.

In front of Dee was the Scrap Baby he had seen on his first day. She looked as, well, trashy as usual.

Dee decided salvaged it. 

Five more audio prompts, some causing Scrap Baby to move closer to Dee. Dee shocked her gladly.

"You have completed zhe maintenance checklist und may proceed vith zhe salvage. Vell done. End tape."

The sickly sweet voice of Baby spoke as Dee left.

"You don't really know who your employer is, do you?"  
———  
Candy Cadet was...interesting. 

"I am Candy Cadet, come get your candy here. I have candy all day, everyday. Candy. Candy. Candy," the robot spoke.

"Return to Candy Cadet again and maybe I will tell you a story?" Candy Cadet suggested, producing a piece of candy for Dee. 

Dee went up to the Candy Cadet. "Can you tell me a story?"

"Now I will tell you a story about a young woman who was sealed in a small room. In the room was a furnace and five keys. She was told that each of the five keys would unlock one of five doors outside her room. Inside each room was a child that she could take with her as she fled the building. But she was only allowed to leave her own room with one key, not all five. Desperate to find a way to save all five children, the woman melted the five keys together in the furnace to create a single key, hoping it would unlock all five doors. But, of course, it did not work that way. Now her key opened none of the doors. Rather than leaving her room with a key to one life, she had taken with her the key to five deaths."

Dee felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't expecting a depressing story being told by a child entertainer robot.

"How about another story?" Asked Dee.

"Now I will tell you a story. A story about a kind man who would visit five orphans and bring them toys and gladness. The man lived alone and lived in fear that someone might break into the house of one of the five children. So he adopted all five and brought them together in one place in his own home. He promised them to never leave them, and they promised to always come home and never stay out too late. He left one day to buy food, his heart being filled with gladness, but returned to find that the burglar had chosen his home and killed all five of the children. The man could only afford one coffin, so he stitched the five bodies together to make one, and buried the child. That night, there was a knock at the door."

"This seems like a horror story idea," Dee murmured. "Do you have any more?"

"Now I will tell you a story about a little boy. He had a red snake that he kept in a metal cage whose hunger could not be satisfied. One day, the boy found five baby kittens outside his house. He brought them inside and kept them in a shoebox. He knew that the snake might kill them, but could not bring himself to get rid of the snake. He knew that if he chose one kitten to feed to the snake, it might be satisfied, but he could not choose. So, he went to bed, leaving the cage open. The snake went to the shoebox, chose a kitten at random, and ate it. After five nights had gone by, the boy was full of regrets, and cut the snake open. He pieced the remains together and put the kitten back into the shoebox."

"What are these stories?" Dee asked, shocked and confused.  
———

This time there was a robot Dee didn't recognize. It was dark gray and black with a star on its chest. It had bear ears and a hat. One of its eyes were completely black and half closed. Dee decided to call it Lefty because of its eye.

Dee, of course, decided to salvage it. Lefty moved three times, and unsettled Dee a bunch. 

When he left the building, there was not a word from the bear.


	19. End Communication

Dee went to his office to restock items as per usual, when he suddenly heard the voice of Scrap Baby.

"You played right into our hands. Did you really think that this job just fell out of the sky for you?"

Dee furrowed his brow. "Yeah...?"

"No."

"Oh, okay."

"This was a gift. For us," giggled Baby. "You gathered them all together, in one place. Just like he asked you to. All of those little souls, in one place. Just for us."

"What do you mean?" Dee questioned. "I'm trying to help you."

"A gift. Now, we can do what we were created to do. And be complete. I will make you proud, Daddy."

Dee tensed up. Did he remember?

"Watch, listen, and be full."

A beeping sound emitted from the overhead speakers.

"Connection terminated," the Cassette Man announced. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Yan. If you still even remember zhat name."

Dee sighed. He really missed Yan...he missed both of his brothers.

"But I'm afraid you've been misinformed. You are not here to receive a gift. Nor, have you been called here by zhe individual you assume. Although, you have indeed been called. You have all been called here. Into a labyrinth of sounds and smells, misdirection and misfortune."

"What's going on?" Dee asked, feeling the temperature in the room quickly rise.

"A labyrinth vith no exit. A maze vith no prize. You don't even realize zhat you are trapped. Your lust of blood has driven you in endless circles. Chasing zhe cries of children in some unseen chamber, always seeming so near."

Dee remembered using the sound of children's laughter to lure Warftrap away.

"It's somehow out of reach. But, you vill never find zhem. None of you vill. Zhis is vhere your story ends. And to you, my brave volunteer, who somehow found zhis job listing not intended for you. Although, zhere vas a vay out planned for you, I have a feeling zhat's not vhat you vant."

Dee shook his head. It wasn't.

"I have a feeling zhat you are right vhere you vant to be."

Dee nodded.

"I am remaining as vell. I am nearby. Zhis place vill not be remembered und zhe memory of everyzhing zhat started zhis, can finally begin to fade away. As zhe agony of every tragedy should."

Dee agreed. This was what he had been trying to do since he entered Circus Baby's repair building.

"Und to you monsters trapped in zhe corridors. Be still. Und give up your spirits. Zhey don't belong to you."

Dee gave a small smile. They would all finally be free.

"As for most of you, I believe zhere is peace und perhaps, more, waiting for you after zhe smoke clears."

"I hope you can finally reach peace, Yan," Dee whispered.

"Although, for one of you, zhe darkest pit of hell has opened to swallow you whole. So, don't keep zhe devil vaiting, old friend."

Dee suddenly realized. Of course! This man was his father's oldest friend and former business partner, Henrik. He felt so stupid now.

"My son, if you can hear me, I knew you vould return as vell."

Dee had flashes of the Puppet in the restaurant where he first saw him. It was his first experience with how the robots acted during the night.

"It's in your nature to protect zhe innocent. I'm sorry zhat on zhat day, zhe day you vere shut out und left to die, no one was zhere to lift you up in their arms, zhe way you lifted others into yours."

Dee remembered his vision with the Security Puppet. That poor young boy who couldn't have been older than Erik was. 

"And zhen, vhat became of you? I should have known, you wouldn't be content to disappear. Not my son. I couldn't save you zhen."

For some reason, Dee had odd flashes of memories that he barely remembered. The young boy grinning as he aimed a toy gun at a very young Dee, maybe around five or six. A two or three year old Yan sat nearby, giggling at the older boys.

"So, let me save you now. It's time to rest, for you, and for those you have carried in your arms...This ends. For all of us."

Dee could smell smoke and the heat of flames. But he wasn't afraid. All those souls could now be free.

"End communication."


End file.
